HC seeks details on claims against Khurshid’s trust

The plea sought lodging of a first information report and also monitoring by the court in the case of the trust run by law minister Khurshid and his wife Louise. Photo: Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday issued notice to a television news channel directing it to produce documents relating to the matter of Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust run by Union law minister Salman Khurshid on the basis of which a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed.

The order was issued by the division bench comprising Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Satish Chandra during a hearing on the maintainability of the PIL filed by right to information activist Nutan Thakur.

The PIL was filed on Monday last in the registry of the Lucknow bench seeking direction for lodging of a first information report (FIR) and also monitoring by the court in the case of the trust run by law minister Khurshid and his wife Louise.

The petitioner asked the court to direct principal secretary, home, of the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to lodge an FIR.

Six parties—the state government through principal secretary, home; EOW; the central government through the ministry of social justice; principal secretary, social welfare, UP; Aaj Tak through Editor, India Today group, and Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust—were arrayed as respondents.

Appearing on behalf of the Union government, senior counsel Vivek Tankha alleged it was a proxy PIL, filed to “malign and scandalize” a person.

Raising preliminary objection, the counsel said the PIL was based on media reports, without inquiring into detailed facts.

Additional advocate general Bulbul Godiyal raised similar preliminary objections on behalf of the state government.